


Excerpts from the Roost

by TurtleTot



Series: Fireteam Jackdaw [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Multi, Not In Chronological Order, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Stealth sad and not stealth sad, affectionate poking and prodding, in universe multishipper, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28143474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurtleTot/pseuds/TurtleTot
Summary: Excerpts of Fireteam Jackdaw's lives and their interactions
Relationships: Guardian & Ghost (Destiny), Guardian & Guardian (Destiny)
Series: Fireteam Jackdaw [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061735
Kudos: 7





	1. PGL: Seren

**Author's Note:**

> Name subject to change at any time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The PGL chapters are inspired by Chapter 3 of Destined and Done by AllieRat

You are six and you’re ‘playing save the princess’ with your big sister and dog. Your dog is the princess and your sister the big bad dragon. You don’t remember what happened exactly, but you had saved the princess and now you're bleeding and crying at your sister to not yell at the dog. It was a mistake.

You are twelve and you have your first serious crush. He’s a friend of your older sister. You know he doesn’t dismiss you out of hand because he's nice and that's why you like him. You stutter and are shy. You cry into your dog’s fur when you overhear him complaining to your sister about how annoying you are and her telling him to deal with it. You hate him now, like you hate your classmates who gossip when they think you're not paying attention.

You get into your first fight when you’re fifteen. Well it was less a fight and more that you got assaulted while standing up for someone. You’re sitting in the nurse’s office with the kid who was being bullied, they're blubbering, when your big sister comes running in. Your parents aren’t there. They're off at work, you heard your papa talking about a colonization initiative to leave the system in the works. You hope you can get a spot on it. Earth sucks. You miss your dog.

You are in Twenty-three. You’re working on your masters in pre Golden Age history now. Your current friends poke at you for knowing so much and falling in love so easily, you poke them right back for their own quirks. It's all in good fun. For the first time since you were six you are at complete ease with yourself and those around you. One of them introduces you to a man a little older than the both of you. You two dance around each other for a year before you start dating.

You are Twenty-six when he proposes to you. Well, he proposes twice. Once between the two of you. You were crying, because you burnt the cake you were making for his birthday in a few days. You look horrible when he grabs your hands and gets down on his knees. You start laughing and say yes. He asks if you two could do a bigger more public proposal, like you see in the movies. You say yes again. The second time also ends in a laughing fit. You’re happy that you fell in love with him. Even if he does worry over you. 

At Twenty-Eight you find yourself tired of life on earth again. You itch to go explore. The exodus program is also recruiting people now too. You apply for you and your fiance. Your parents call you, they gave up their spots for you and your fiance. You start crying, you love your parents distant even though they were distant when you were a girl. You are to be on the Exodus Blue or Red you were too happy to take note right away.

You are Twenty-Nine when the world ends. You are stuck in traffic as this shadow seems to engulf the system. You’re trying to get to the Cosmodrome. The same as everyone else here. They’re all probably going to be your ship mates. Your now husband is already at the Cosmodrome. You had told him to go on ahead and make sure all your papers were in order. Considering the traffic you’re glad you did. Then. Then the world is a blurr. Everything seems to be dying around you. You, like so many others, get out of your car. Then you realize you are going to die. You get swept up in people yelling and screaming and running. You think you grab a child who fell to the ground. You try to protect them from getting trampled. It feels as if you are drowning, and you will never see the light again. You realize you will never see your husband again, you will never create a family. Then there is nothing. 

You are 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes old. There is a little drone in front of you, he feels familiar and warm. He says to trust him, you do. He says he’s been looking for you for a long time, and that you’ve been dead a long time too. You believe him. Although you don’t feel as if you were dead. Not like you have a frame of reference. He calls you a Guardian, a Hunter. He calls himself a Ghost, he says that he’s yours. He tells you to run, that he’s going to take you to a place called The Last City. You follow the little drone. Your Ghost out of the rotting corpse of the Cosmodrome. You wonder what you were doing there.


	2. PGL: Noah-9

You are Thirty and a Scientist for Clovis Bray. You work on Europa. You are starting to want to leave. You have heard of some people going missing then showing back up as an Exo. You know a fair amount about the Exo project. You know he implants fake memories that were not the person’s into their exo form. You will probably be killed for knowing this. Or made into an Exo.

You are Noah-1, you were a human scientist for Clovis Bray. Now you are an Exo one. At least you think you were. You continue on with the experiments for Bray. They sicken you. You hope you can get moved to someplace else. Even if you are not a scientist any more. You want to be far away from Europa.

It is your Fifth reset. You find yourself working on Earth now. You are away from Europa, you are relatively happy now. You don’t leave the Bray compound where you work. You hate the staring. In the dark of the night you wish you could cry. Even just for the sensation of tears rolling down your cheeks. You get up every day and work like a good little Exo presenting all the good things about becoming an Exo.

You are on rest Eight. For the past three resets you bounce between Mars and Earth. You are treated as a nice little show dog for showing off the wonders of Exoscience. You really hate the Brays. But you cannot speak out. It is a painful existence. You are no longer being stared at however. You have heard that Dr. Elisabeth Bray has become an Exo. You learn that she has a custom body, you admit you are jealous. But this body is closer to your human one, far better off than many other Exos out there who complain about different things.

It is your Ninth reset and you are on Earth. The Exodus project is underway. You are still used as a show pony. You have forced yourself to ignore the ogling and leering, or have gotten so used to it you don’t care anymore. You still miss being human from time to time. You find you cannot remember what you looked like. Then one day it all ends. There is Darkness and you are dead. 

You are Reborn. There is something floating in front of you. It calls itself a ghost. It doesn’t have a name. It...He tells you that your name is Noah-9. You have no reason not to trust him. He brings you back if you die. And in the early days together, you die. A lot. In the end you name him Bagpipe.


	3. PGL: Sabrina

I am eight when a warlord comes and claims us as her people. She is not overly cruel but she could be better. My Parents speak of a world before the collapse. They called it the Golden age of humanity. That everything became like this overnight. We live in the ruins of a city once called Dallas.

I am ten when my parents die. It was to another warlord trying to take ours' land. They were killed on the crossfire. Someone else takes me in. I decide I hate the risen. It is a thought I keep to myself. Our warlord doesn't hurt us if we don't speak against her.

I am twenty when our warlord is driven off. Or maybe she was killed. Could risen be killed permanently? Our new one is an Exo. She is nicer than our last one. Or she is faking it. She talks to us and asks for less bullets and food than her predecessor. She calls herself Thresh-12. Her drone, or Ghost I have now learned is called Verity.

I am forty. Thresh does much to protect us but cannot save us from illness. Illness is how me and my wife came to be mothers. In the night I tell my son stories about the Golden age that my parents told me.

I am fifty-three when my son leaves me to join a different settlement. I hope it is not ruled by a warlord. I still hate risen. Thresh is the exception.

I am sixty when my wife dies. Our warlord didn't protect her like she promised. She was killed by a damned fallen. My warlord let's me beat my weak fists against her like it would bring my wife back from the dead. In that moment she reminds me of my mother and how she would weather the blows from my tiny fists when I would throw a fit. I can't bring myself to hate Thresh. I apologize the next day. She forgives me. My hatred turns to the fallen.

I am seventy when I am killed. I was caught in the cross fire between a fool risen and our warlord. It is an irony I think. To die the same way my parents did. Thresh holds me as I die. I beg her to move this settlement, my family, somewhere safer. She says she will. I do not know if she will. But it is a nice thought to have while I die.

I am newborn. The world is so vivid and bright. There is a small drone in front of me. He does not have a name. But neither do I. The grave I am standing on is unmarked. Was I unloved? Or did time take away my name? We agree to name each other when we find names that fit.


	4. PGL: Thresh-12

I am. I am Young. I think. I remember who I was before I was an Exo. Just in small flashes. I think I have a daughter. But I can’t remember her name. Trying too hard to remember it brings on my first reset. I miss being able to make tears. Was it my choice to become an Exo? I don’t remember. I hope my daughter actually exists. I hope she is doing well.

It is my Third reset. I ask if my name coded in could be changed to Thresh. I don’t remember why. I probably got tired of being mixed up with someone with the same name as mine. I redo the paint on my face to a splatter over an optic. I end up taking some of the fresh Exos under my wing for a time. I write a little bit about myself. So my next resets can learn about me.

By my Sixth reset I am on Venus. I am ignored by all except for my fellow Exos. I can’t really complain, except for when I am treated as an object, or a nuisance. I would rather be ignored.

My Eighth reset I am still on Venus. I am still ignored by all except the other Exos. I have stopped caring if they treat me as an object. I have started writing letters to my daughter who might exist. Even if she doesn’t it is still a way to pass the few hours I have off. Another Exo here does the same thing. I think we are friends.

The Tenth reset I am back on Europa. I hate the cold after so long in the tropics of Venus. I am still writing letters to my daughter. I see a psychologist regularly now that I am back on Europa. I am reminded that I fucking hate Clovis Bray. Dr.Elisabeth is alright I suppose. Doesn’t seem to have any of the cruelty that Clovis has. Not that I would want to test it.

I am on my Twelfth reset when the Collapse happens. I am on Earth. I see the Exodus Blue crash from where I am. The first thing I do after it all settles down, I find some clothes. That's what I have hated the most about being an Exo for that bastard. I end up protecting a small group of refugees for a while. I am the only one who can take the hits anyway. There’s a small drone, she says she’s born from when the Traveller pushed away the Darkness. I call her Verity, she seems to like it. I die in a fallen ambush buying time for the group and Verity.

Within Minutes I take my first breath. It is a small drone. She said I call her Verity, and that I was chosen by the Traveller. I ask her for what, she doesn’t have an answer. There is a group of people, they’re dirty and crying. One of them says They saw me die right in front of them before the little drone brought me back, that I had died protecting them from the Fallen. My name seems to be Thresh-12. I am a risen.


	5. PGL: Rahac

You are Fifteen and you live on a Mars colony. You have never seen earth. You want to. Your parents work for Clovis Bray.

You are nineteen and you are now aboard the Exodus Green. Nineteen and you are aboard the Exodus green. You hear whispers about a cult centering around some megalomaniacal girl your age. You might have met her once, you don’t really care. You are content to never have to never meet her.

You are Timeless, everywhere and nowhere at once. For a brief moment you can comprehend the vastness and timelessness of the universe. Then, it all goes away. You are you again. Well you plus a little more. You are no longer a god, nor do you understand the universe anymore. You are in a place called the distributary now. Almost everyone from the Exodus Green is there with you.

You have Stopped counting your age. Noone here dies of old age it seems. You join this Mara woman on her exodus leaving The Distributary. She speaks well about going back to Earth and helping humanity. You think she is the girl they made the cult about before The Collapse. You do not care. You want to see Earth, or whatever is left of it.

You are still Ageless, and you are angry. You leave with others to Earth. You should have known Mara would lie. Her name is bitter on your tongue. You wear the supposedly shameful name ‘Earthborn’ with pride. The ‘Queen’ can keep her Reef born of lies. You want to wonder what else she has lied about, but she is not worth your time. The entirety of the Reef and burn for all you care. You will help the people on Earth, or try to.

You don’t have an Age anymore. You are a stranger in a strange land. This is the first time you have ever touched Earth’s soil. Everything is ruined. The normal humans are afraid of you. You suppose that is fair with your gray-blue skin. You did not expect to be killed by them though. At least you were asleep when it happened.

You are New. The little ghost tells you to trust her. You don’t know anything, so you do. She asks if you have a name. Something tells you to say Rahac. She takes you to a small group of humans. They are afraid and kill you a few times, both you and them are afraid. But the little group and you figure it out. You decide to stay with them.


	6. PGL: Kaxen

I am Fifty-Six, and hardly old. My wife had died the year past and I have no children for comfort. I sign for the Exodus Colonization with my siblings. With my doctorate in engineering I can only hope I am chosen.

I am Fifty-seven when I am chosen for the Exodus Green. So are my siblings and their families. We are overjoyed. This is just what we need.

At Fifty-eight we are aboard the Exodus Green. Daily life is slower than I expected. My neice seems to have gotten mixed up in some personality cult around a child named Mara. Perhaps I should speak to this girl's mother. 

I have Forgotten My Age. Everything had happened too fast. We were everywhere. Then no where. Then inside a place that felt confining and choking. My sister stays in the distributary. I leave with my Brother and his wife and children and my sister's children. 

I am One hundred and Two. Or rather that is how many years I have lived on Earth now. Everything ruined and different. My niece, the one who fell in with the cult on the Exodus Green, stayed behind in the Reef with the child who fancies herself a queen. I should have had a talk with the girl's mother.

At One hundred and Four I am dead. Without realizing it I had run into the old Cosmodrome. I was injured and bled out while hiding. I wanted to go to that city those refugees were talking about. Perhaps I will one day. But it will have to be as a lightbearer. I write my name on a scrap of paper I had on hand. It is Kaxen Thovov.

I am New. The first thing I see is a wily little thing floating in my face. He is bright and gaudy. I think he and I will get along. I follow him a little bit away from where I was raised. There is another one floating by the head of what I think is a person. They call themselves Seren and Eidolon and they are here to take me to the city. My gaudy little thing is called a Ghost. I find a paper in my pocket and I read it aloud. I think it is my name.


	7. In which Libby is a menace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is like no editing to this.

Seren was only slightly cagey when Rahac had asked her exactly where they were going on the Tangled Shore. The last time she was this kind of cagey was when she had asked him to join her FireTeam for going into the Vault of Glass, the next few times she had asked for something impossible like that she at least looked confident while asking. Just how bad was the thing she was about to show him.

“Rahac,“ She asked, her voice filtered through the microphone on her helmet. “Promise me you won’t do something stupid and like attack him“.

“Seren. Who or what is it? Is it a Fallen? A vex like that ‘friendly’ one on Nessus? A Cabal war beast you stole and raised? A hive worm?“ He asked rapid fire questions. 

“No!“ She raised her voice, her body language belaying her obvious fluster at trying to say it without actually saying it. She cleared her throat awkwardly, “It’s nothing like that. It’s another lightbearer. He can’t exactly come to the city for reasons“.

“Like what reasons,“ Now he was intrigued. Which was probably what she was aiming for. Annoying little twit.

She fell silent and let Eidolon answer for her, “You and Libby will see. It’s a little complicated. OK it's really complicated.“

"You're talking like it's someone everyone pretty much universally hates like Prince Uldren," Rahac joked smiling. Seren and Eidolon looked to each other in awkward silence. "No. Nonononono".

They looked back at Rahac and spoke simultaneously, "Yes."

He made a sound of confusion and distress, "You mean those rumors were true?"

"Yes," Seren bluntly replied. "Now you know why I need you to not do something stupid. I...well Eido and I figured he could use another friend that isn't us or his ghost".

"Why me, why not like Sabrina or Thresh?" He was flat out bewildered. 

"Well...I figured you could….help me teach him more hunter-y stuff and…" she trailed off awkwardly.

"And?" He stopped in his tracks and waited for an answer.

"AndIcantrustyouwon'ttattleonmetoZavalaandIkoraeventhotheyprobablyalreadysortaknow," she spoke fast enough that her helmet speaker started glitching out.

"Ah." He cleared his throat, "well let's go meet that kinderguardian. What's his name?"

"Crow. Now let's go meet him. He's been waiting," Eidolon answered in the place of Seren.

The rest of their trip to the meet spot was silent. Nothing to say nothing between the two of them. In hindsight it was probably a good idea she spilled the beans on who her new friend was before they got there. Didn't stop her from nearly vibrating from the nerves of the two Awoken meeting. She told Eidolon over their link to go ahead and tell Crow and Glint she and her friend will be there soon.

When the duo finally got to the meeting spot Seren saw Crow cleaning his hand cannon. She refrained from calling out to him too excitedly. While she had come to accept she had a crush on the man, she didn’t want Rahac or anyone else to know. It would be an awkward talk. An extremely awkward talk. So Eidolon, being Eidolon, called out to them in her place over the comms. Crow looked up from his work a small smile on his face. One that faltered slightly at the sight of Rahac. So far so good. Rahac only tensed slightly at the sight of Crow. No reckless uses of light. 

Seren motioned to each of them like Thresh had done back when she was a fresh kinderguardian to the fireteam minus Kaxen. "Right, uh, Crow, Rahac. Rahac, Crow," She wrung her hands nervously. She glanced over to see Libby pop out. Hopefully she wouldn't say anything stupid.

"So you're the lightbearer that has Eidolon and Seren all in a flurry coming here almost every day," Libby said accusingly. Seren could feel a flush creep up her face. Eidolon whirred awkwardly.

"Oh- I didn't mean to take her away from her duties," Crow spoke, embarrassment evident.

"You're not," Seren cut in before Libby or Crow could say another word. "Don’t worry. Right, um, Rahac is here to help out with the hunts. To get Spider off your ass a bit about how slow it's going. Don’t tell Osiris this but Rahac is by far a better teacher than him". They couldn’t see it but she smiled slightly at his short laugh.

"Yeah. I’m not an asshole," said Rahac. 

Eidolon spoke as Seren slumped forward slightly and sighed. "We just got a transmission. We gotta go."

"I’ll check in later with y’all later," She said her goodbye and transmatted directly onto her ship leaving the two Awoken men to figure things out on their own. She hoped nothing bad would happen as she mopped up the Glassway...again.

Rahac found himself feeling quite smug with himself a few days later. He and Crow had been getting along swimmingly. The young light bearer had opened up to him immensely once it was clear that Rahac wasn't going to hurt him. It was also clear to him that Crow had become quite attached to Seren. He sat at a table waiting for Seren to meet him for their monthly fireteam night outs. One Noah was also running late for.

Libby bobbed in the air whirring excitedly, "They're quite cute together don't you think Rahac?"

"Who are?" He asked.

"Seren and her new 'friend'," annoyance bled into Libby's voice at having to state the obvious.

"You said that same thing when you saw Seren interacting with Shiro. Once. Or just about any unwed attractive person you see around Seren," Rahac shot back.

"And every time it's true!"

"You are oddly invested in her love life for being my ghost".

"Her reactions are fantastic. Yours are boring," She said smugly. She giggled as he bopped her shell, making her bob in the air. 

Seren slid into one of the chairs next to Rahac, Eidolon leaving his spot from the hood of her pulled down cloak. Rahac slid her water over to her. "Sorry I'm late. Though seeing how Noah isn't here. Not too late," she said with an awkward smile. "What is Libby giggling about?"

"You," Libby answered with a snort, still giggling.

"What about me?" She asked before taking a sip of the water far more interested in the condensation rolling down the side of the glass.

"Oh just how cute you and Crow look together," Libby said in such a way that if she had eyebrows they’d be wiggling.

Seren paled, and spluttered into her water before blushing fiercely, "I'm not-. He’s not- We’re not! We are just friends. Only friends". She pressed her forehead against the table and hid her face from sight. "Libby!"

Libby flew into another laughing fit, "See Rahac? Great reactions."

"Eidolon! Back me up!" Seren whined into her elbow.

Eidolon whirred like he wanted to laugh, "They’re just friends Libby".

"Ha. Simp," Libby declared for Eidolon’s high crime of backing up his guardian.

Libby was still in hysterics minutes later when Noah-9 finally appeared.


	8. Pyramid: Seren

Seren stood at the precipice of the cliff above the pyramid. It was beckoning her. Everytime she tried to stop moving, to go back, her legs trembled with unknown fear, as it pulled her and Eidolon closer to it. Eidolon was trembling as he tried to fight off the possession of the Darkness, but with every step she took the harder it got. He floated slightly above her outstretched palm as he had done thousands of times before. The unknown force pulled her off the edge, and they were floating oh so gently down to the pyramid.

But it wasn’t his gaze staring at her from that bright blue eye. The pyramid opened. They were being pulled in. She was helpless to fight against the invisible tether.

Her ghost spoke, his voice was distorted by the Darkness. "Truth. Beauty. Violence. All of these things await you inside. There is no turning back now.” Seren wanted desperately to comfort her ghost. Was that him even speaking? Or was he asleep like when Sagira took over his shell? Some part of her hoped he was asleep; that it was only her experiencing this terror.

It set her down gently.

"Welcome. We’ve been waiting," It said in her ghost’s voice. There was a pressure on her back, pushing her forward. So she did the only thing she could do.

Seren ran. She tried not to look at the red figures floating in the air around her, tried to not look at the dark corridors. They were whispering, crying, begging for help.

"You’re so close now. Just a little further," It spoke once more. She ran into a large cavernous room with only a way around by a bridge, trying to ignore the Darkness’ words. There were more phantoms hanging around in the air. These ones said nothing, but she could feel their gaze as if they were living. 

The hallway closed once more, and there was… Ghaul. She let out a yelp as the nightmare seemed to engulf her.

She recognized this place. Seren turned and saw Ghaul, just as he was when he stole the Light. Their fight was almost step for step as it was two years prior. Except for one thing. One crucial thing. Where she would land the killing blow, before he turned into a thing of sentient light collapsing and melting upon itself, Ghaul grabbed her mid air and squeezed. She cried out in pain, her ribs breaking under the pressure of the nightmare’s grip. Then it threw her and she was back in the pyramid. She could feel her bones mending. Seren hoped that it was Eidolon breaking through the possession somewhat. But when she pulled him out, he floated there motionless except for small tendrils of Darkness wiggling around him. Any hope she had of that died.

She kept moving, slower this time, and with Eidolon materialized. "The Red War saw so many lives lost. Saw the Light so easily taken away. In Light there is only weakness".

The phantoms were speaking more clearly now. They were begging to be saved. They were damning Guardians. They were damning her. Saying how she had moved too slow, how she was too weak.

As she walked, a phantom appeared behind her. Seren saw it from the corner of her eye. She didn’t recognize it. Or she didn’t want to.

"Don’t you recognize her? That was one of the civilians who died because you were too weak to just kill Ghaul. You used to go to her restaurant. She believed in you and your Light until the very end. She would not have died were it not for the Light," It spoke once more. Seren bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from responding. The phantom didn’t touch her but she could feel its anger and its pain. She wanted to cry.

Seren fought against herself from breaking into another run. She kept walking at a slow and measured pace. There was another phantom. She ignored the Darkness as it spoke through Eidolon. It offered to tell her about her past. The one that Light made her forget. She denied it by staying silent. She was stronger than this. 

The next room was well lit. There was a form of irony to be found there, were she not terrified. In the center of a nightmare of Fikrul ready to pounce. As she approached she steeled herself to be yanked into another fight like the nightmare of Ghaul.

There were no mocking or frantic questions from it. Just silence, like with the previous nightmare. Just animalistic hissing. Again the battle was almost a step for step of the one she had with Fikrul on her hunt for Uldren. Again, as she would have struck the killing blow with her Arc Staff, it all disappeared. The nightmare, the environment, her Arc Staff. She found herself staring at her empty hands desperately trying to recall the light. Small sparks flickered and faded from her palms before putting out entirely. 

"The Light abandoned Cayde. Left him for dead, and kept him from being saved. Kept you from saving him," the distorted voice of Eidolon spoke once more. 

There were more phantoms whispering about as she continued on. This time they were damning her, blaming her for not saving Cayde. A few even accused her of killing him herself. She forced herself to swallow the tears and white hot anger welling up in her chest.

A third phantom appeared on her heels. This one was recognizable. Too recognizable. It was Cayde.

It was floating in front of her. And then it spoke. "You know, I brought you along because I trusted you. And you let me down. Not once, not twice. But three times. First you let me die. Then you couldn't even find it in yourself to speak. Couldn't comfort a dying man. And then the worst of them all. You went on a rampage and didn't even see it through to-" Cayde, no. No the Darkness, said. Then it morphed into Uldren and kept speaking, "And you could not even pull the trigger yourself.” She visibly flinched at the phantom's words. Her hands were trembling. Seren's entire body was trembling. It had turned back into Cayde for one final barb, "You aren't worthy of Ace. And you sure as hell aren't making my memory proud by trembling".

Still she continued on. More and more phantoms are speaking. All overlapping. Crescendoing into a rancorous yell so loud and unsettling she would hear it everytime she closed her eyes for years afterwards. All blaming, begging, and damning the Light, the vanguard, her fireteam, her. Their hatred and terror and disappointment settled deep into her bones. Her footsteps were heavy against the floor of the pyramid. She wanted Eidolon. Every step she took it got harder to stand. It got harder to know where she ended and the Darkness began. Seren could barely feel the flicker of light, of life in Eidolon. She kept moving for him.

The next room was Crota. The nightmare was somehow more terrifying than when she fought, and killed, him years ago. But she was not alone then. She was now. Once more it was fought almost step by step. Just without the rest of her Fireteam. Once more as she was about to make the killing blow, the blade disappeared from her hands and she was back inside the pyramid. 

"One by one, Crota slaughtered many Guardians. The Light stood by and did nothing. And a Great Disaster ensued. Just ask your Fireteam. They lost so many brothers and sisters during the slaughter. In Light, there is only death," the Darkness said as it spoke through Eidolon. The hallway became stairs and opened into a cavernous room. She could make out the top of a head of a statue, from where she was. She paused for a moment to compose herself. The Darkness stayed mercifully silent.

Seren continued her ascent of the pyramid’s stairs. The phantoms that had been following her stopped and floated off into the air amongst the others hanging lifeless. They were silent. It was somehow worse than the stream of damnations. "Respite lies ahead," It spoke. The statue loomed right in front of her. It was a veiled woman, with her arms open. What Seren could make out of the expression on its barely seen face was so peaceful, as if asleep. It unnerved her. 

An orb, bright with a sickly orange glow descended to an altar just before the statue. It beckoned her and with her free hand she touched it. It dissolved and she could feel it put itself into her pack. The entirety of her surroundings went to an inky darkness she felt pervaded all but the brightest parts of her soul and even then those were dimmed in its presence. Then she found herself in a field filled with red and white flowers. Flowers she didn’t know the names of. Her gaze found itself fixed on the horizon. The landscape overall reminded her of Io. She realised she was no longer wearing her helmet, she couldn’t call up Eidolon, nor feel the light pulsing just under the surface of her skin. Seren looked up to see a green sky, not unlike the one that appears before a particularly bad thunderstorm. There were objects, just hanging there far up into the sky, orbs and pyramids. 

"You made it," a voice spoke….Her voice spoke. Seren slowly turned to see a copy of herself walking slowly toward her. "We have heard your cries for help. And soon we will answer," it seemed to be trying to put her at ease, with its gentle gesturing. This just put Seren further on edge.

"Who are you?" Seren said without thinking. It had her face, but was it the Darkness itself or some intermediary?

It motioned to itself, showing itself off. "Don’t you recognize us?" Of course she recognized it. It dropped its hands to its sides and began to stroll towards her, but it felt more like a beast stalking its prey. "We are not your friend. We are not your enemy." For every step it took towards her, Seren inched back. It came to a stop steps from her, its hands clasped together once more. "We are your salvation." Seren sucked in a breath and stepped back as it tried to reach for her with an unnerving smile on its face.

She stepped right off the cliff. A scream was caught in her throat as she fell. The air was unnaturally still. Her hands grasped wildly for a perch that wasn’t there.

Faster and faster she fell.

A portal ripped open underneath her, delivering her from the pyramid.

Seren was thrown out of the portal. Bits of armor ripped from her as she crashed and skidded against the surface of the moon. Eventually she came to a stop by slamming into a boulder. Eris cautiously approached her trembling form. Seren slowly pushed herself up, the glass from her visor fell to the ground. Bright red blood soon followed after. She scrambled to rip the ruined helmet from her head.

She cried out in pain as she sat back on her knees and Eris saw more of the damage from Seren’s crash landing. Her shoulder was bare and bloodied and her cloak only half hanging onto her. She looked very much like a scared young woman instead of the triumphant Saladin’s Young Wolf. Her hand shook as she brought out Eidolon who looked around blearily. Seren burst into tears holding her ghost close to her, mumbling out apologies.

"Seren? Seren! It’s okay. I’m still here. I haven’t left you." Eidolon quickly set to soothing his hysteric guardian. He flew out of her grasp and she weakly reached after him, "I haven’t gone anywhere. I’m just going to heal you up," His shell burst apart pulsing with light that washed over Seren, mending her wounds and armor. Eris watched silently as Eidolon gently nudged Seren’s forehead affectionately.

Seren stood up unsteadily rubbing her eyes. "Seren, what did you experience?" Eris knew this was far from an ideal time to ask the young wolf about what she had seen while in the pyramid. But she needed to know while it was still fresh in Seren’s memory.

"The Darkness is coming. It calls itself ‘Salvation,’" Seren said, the orb materialized into her hands. "It also gave me this. I don’t know what it is. Should be of use to you though.” She held it out towards Eris, who took it from her hands.


	9. In which Rahac and Petra almost have a baby slap fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this on has honestly no beta to there's that

Noah looked awkwardly between Rahac, Seren, and Petra. This wasn't good. He wasn't aware of the relationship between Seren and Petra, but he knew about the white hot hatred of Rahac's for anything related to the reefborn. Especially Petra Venj. 

"Guardian, what is he doing here?" Petra asked in a tone more akin to hissing.

"She's got a name Venj maybe you should trying using it," Rahac shot back, completely ignoring how Seren moved indicating she was going to speak. "Or maybe you don't even know it. It's a wonder you can even shoot with how far your head is shoved up your queen's ass". Noah reached and gently pulled Seren away from the two awoken butting heads. He knew Rahac wouldn't strike out. But Petra was an unknown to him, the last time the two even crossed paths was when she was emissary from the reef to the tower. "Or maybe you don't want to know her name so when you get her killed you won't feel as guilty".

Petra glared but otherwise did not move, "Do not presume-"

"I'll presume whatever the hell I want to presume to. You fucking reefborn do it all the time," Rahac spat out. "And don't you ever take that tone with someone on my fire team again Venj."

Rahac tensed at the tug on his cloak, and relaxed when he saw it was Seren. Her head tilted, he could picture the disappointment and confusion on her face from behind her helmet. "I'm not asking you two to be friends. But can you please fight later? Fireteam Magpie will be here soon."

He sighed and stepped away from Petra and Seren. "Alright. Alright. Fine."

"Now Petra, He's here because he's part of my fireteam. I don't know what your issue is with him, and I really don't give a damn," Seren said sternly, like she was speaking to one of the City's children. Rahac bit hard enough into his lip that it bled to keep from smiling at her admonishment. "But I'd appreciate it if you showed him something other than hatred. If only because he's my friend and teammate".

Petra sucked in a breath through her teeth, regained her composure, "So long as you keep him in line Guardian."

Seren knew Petra couldn’t see her expression, but that didn’t stop her from giving the Queen’s Wrath a look that could only be summed up as a ‘are you fucking kidding me’. "No Promises. Don’t worry, Rahac is nothing if not professional when it's time to actually work," Seren said, she...really didn’t care. In all honesty she wanted to go and hide in her apartment to mourn. But Petra had told her there was more to the story than Uldren being a manipulated bastard and that’s what led Fireteam Rook to the Dreaming City to kill….whatever it was that manipulated him into murdering Cayde inside, and free the Techeuns, and also this baby screaming fight.

Besides she was never one to leave things half finished.


	10. They are technically escapees

He watched as the Jumpship took off. Noah’s heart was heavy with hurt and sympathy for the younger hunter in his fire team. Bagpipe appeared next to him.

"You’re going to go ask Zavala for permission on Seren’s behalf aren’t you?" Bagpipe noted aloud, "Choose your words carefully Noah."

Noah made a deep sigh before he spoke, "Bagpipe. I know, but Seren doesn’t need to come back to at best disappointment and worse, dealing with the Praxics." He turned on his heel and left the Hangar back up to the main courtyard of the Tower. As Noah left he saw out of the corner of his eye one of the younger hunters petting Colonel half heartedly.

Bagpipe had sent a message to Targe, about Noah needing to speak to Zavala- in private. 

Which led to Noah standing shoulder to shoulder with Zavala in his office overlooking the city.

"You wanted to speak to me Noah," Zavala finally broke the silence, "I assume it’s about Seren."

"I do and it is," He opened and shut his mouth several times, "Those barons she’s going after are escapees from the Prison of Elders just like every other wanted enemy you have us working towards."

"I know," Zavala said calmly.

"Then sir. Please. Don’t punish her for this. I know her reasons are the opposite of ideal, but the barons needed to be brought down regardless and-," Noah kept talking through Zavala’s attempts to speak to him. He finally shut up as Zavala’s hand came heavily down on his shoulder.

"Noah. I know. I have no plans on punishing her. Not for this," He sucked a breath in through his teeth, "I will if and only for Uldren if she does succeed in hunting for him. But only if Petra doesn’t clarify that she hired Seren."

He blinked and sighed. "Thank you Zavala".

"Take care of yourself Noah."

Noah turned to step out, and stopped once more as Zavala grabbed him by the elbow.

He didn’t turn around to the vanguard commander. "Be there for her when she gets back. She’ll need it," Zavala said.

"I will."

He let go of Noah, "That will be all. Dismissed."  
Noah gently took his arm back and walked out of the office. The worry in his heart, far lighter than before.


	11. Of Xenophage and saying 'weird hive shit' too much within 5 mintues

Rahac looked at the heavy machine gun slung on Seren’s back. Familiar but not seen for decades. Either the real thing or a very convincing replica. She had just come back from Luna. Did Eris have a hand in this? Seren was always dealing with weird hive shit when Eris was about, and then he'd be dealing with weird hive shit because Seren was dealing with weird hive shit. And he can't just let his teammate do weird hive shit by herself. Okay he can and has, doesn't mean he should.

"Seren!" Libby yelled out. Seren turned around and waved at the two. "Whatcha got there?"

"...a smoothie," Seren responded, taking a sip from her smoothie.

Rahac sighed, "She means what on your back?"

Seren’s face was blank but her eyes glinted with mischievousness, "My cloak." Eidolon laughed at her answer. Rahac gave her an unamused stare.

"Very funny. Where’d you get the gun?"

"Oh. Eris," She said and took another sip of her smoothie.

"And how did that happen?" Rahac was getting annoyed with her.

"Uhh, I lit up some statues, killed some stuff, shot up some hive runes in lost sectors, killed a hidden boy in the Pit of Heresy, and then I got this gun. It’s called Xenophage and it is powered by one very angry bug," She said deadpanned and took another loud sip of her almost empty smoothie. "All of which you would know if you or Noah bothered to pick up when I call you.

He blinked. She slurped. Eidolon whirred. Libby’s optic was tiny and she was in stunned silence. 

"A bug?"

"Yup," She said, shook her smoothie cup before throwing it out.

"There is a bug...in your gun," Rahac was in disbelief.

"That is what is in the gun. Yes. His name is Omar," She said, holding up her hand when he starts saying something. "Yes, that Omar."

"Can he?" Rahac asked.

"Speak? Sort of? It’s kinda more like emotions, but I’m not even sure he’s aware, or if he feels anything other than rage."

"You know what?" Rahac said, exasperation in his voice. "Next time you get involved in weird hive shit. Actually I don’t know what. But you keep me updated the next time you get up to weird hive shit."

"You keep saying weird hive shit."

"I know!"


	12. Nadia is an ass

The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. It was a rather uneventful and calm day in the Tower. Barring the fact Nadia just had to speak to Seren, cornering the small Hunter in the hallway to the Bazaar. The glittering Titan stood over the darkly dressed Hunter.

“Well if it isn’t the Iron Puppy,“ Nadia said, her smile so saccharine it couldn't be anything but fake. Seren felt a cold rush fall over herself.

“Nadia,“ Seren greeted back, nodding her head politely in Nadia direction.

“What, that’s it? No words of acid or fire for little old me?“

“No.“

“Really? Because I have some for you,“ Nadia's eyes glinted brighter, “I saw a little puppy playing in the snow, and then it played with a bird. I had such an urge to crush that birdy!“ 

Seren shifted uncomfortably, she knew her expression mirrored how she felt. Nadia knew. Forget about her stasis use, that was fairly known in all honesty. But the Titan knew about Crow. That wasn't good. Nadia loved the last city, loved it enough she was dangerous.

“Like here I was thinking that the puppy had hunted that birdy. So imagine my surprise when I saw that birdy up and walking around with a ghostie of its own. Well I was just besides myself. Because I might not be a dog person, but this puppy was always such a good little hunting dog.“

“Is there a point to this Nadia,“ she said. Seren’s expression went back to its usual blank passiveness, thoughts inscrutable and unknowable to all except her Ghost. The only indication of her suppressed rage was the slight tremble in her hands, and the tingle she felt across her face. Eidolon considered just transmatting her away from the situation.

“Oh I just wanted to see how the puppy is doing. Give her a word of warning, that if she keeps playing with the birdy, she’s gonna get burned too.“

“I’ll be fine.“

Nadia Hummed. “I sure hope so. Be a shame to lose such a well trained puppy because she made the wrong friends.“

Seren kept her face blank and turned on her heel. She walked away from the Titan leaving her in the shadows. She had an engram to pick up from Hawthrone.

“Hey. At Least I’m not playing at being friends with my Vanguards killer. Though if he dies this time. It just might stick,“ Nadia called after Seren.

That’s when Seren started cussing. Eidolon messaged Shaxx about a situation developing between the two women.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nadia for next token Titan in the Praxic Order.


End file.
